Zero Branch: Dove's Understanding
by Xardion
Summary: A Heero/Relena one-shot. Relena gets a taste of the Zero system. Revised slightly Please R&R.


Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Damn!

-

_**Zero branch: Dove's understanding**_

-

In a secret hanger, a slim figure entered the doorway and closed it behind itself. Pausing to look, the shadowy figure moved straight ahead, passing the equipment and moving toward the hanger deck. There awaited the target: Wing Gundam Zero. Looking up at the massive machine, the figure couldn't help but be amazed by it. The sleek design and the way it shimmered off the light gave it an impressive visage. Not to mention the fact that it was encased in two sets of white, feathery-looking wings, like an angel.

However, this was also the deadliest killing machine ever created. It was this machine that had destroyed thousands, possibly millions of lives during the wars. It killed multitudes of soldiers and destroyed colonies within a single shot. And yet, this machine was also responsible for saving the Earth Sphere on so many occasion; the last being when Libra's core had plummeted to Earth. Zero was the only thing standing in its way and it stopped it, not only ending the war, but bringing peace to both Earth and space as well.

But that wasn't the machine's doing. Rather it was its pilot. The reckless, suicidal, soldier/gundam pilot of the Wing Zero. Yet, despite this, he understood the feelings of everyone, both in space and Earth.

_Heero__..._

The figure strode up to the machine and into the light, revealing itself to be female. Her long, golden-blond hair swayed behind her and her aquamarine eyes stayed focused on Zero.

Relena Dorlian.

Relena moved to the side ladder and climbed up toward the cockpit. Once reached, she opened the control panel near it and pressed in a few buttons. The code was accepted and the cockpit opened. Unsteadily, Relena sat in the chair. Her nostrils were able to faintly detect Heero's scent within. She half smiled before looking down. She realizes that she has never been in a mobile suit before, much less a gundam. But she did remember enough from the other pilots on how to start one up. Unknown to many, she also had a photographic memory. She also knows the dangers of this particular suit.

-

_"That suit shouldn't even exist. Heero may have been able to control it, but that thing does horrible things to your mind. But at the same time, it showed me things I needed to see."_

_-_

_Quatre__._ Out of all the gundam pilots, Quatre was the closest one she could relate to. She knew that he was the one who built the suit and knew first hand to potential danger. But she still had to do this. She had to see it for herself.

-

_"Someday, I'm going to find out. What it is that give everyone the urge to fight."_

-

Now focused, she entered another passcode. _Code: ZERO._ The front viewscreen appeared, showing her the front of the hanger. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but that was until all the screens glowed in a bright yellow light. She didn't know what to think of it, but that didn't matter. ZERO had already went to work...

_-"You're in over your head. Say goodbye, Relena."-_

_-"I'll destroy you."-_

_-"Heero.__ Don't run away from me."-_

Relena began to struggle within the machine. She knew these images...no, memories. _'These are...my memories of him.'_ More flooded into her mind as ZERO continued.

_-"Heero, I want you to make me a promise."-_

_-"Don't make me repeat it. I'm nothing compared to you."-_

_-"Life is something that is cheap. Especially my life."-_

_'Wait. That isn't mine'_. Relena's hand began to grasp the controls tightly. _'That's...Heero's?'_ More flooded in

_-"What's wrong with me!"-_

_-"Getting rid of them all.__ Anyone who fights is my enemy!"-_

_-My enemy! My enemy! Relena...be sad...my enemy.-_

At this point, Relena was thrashing about in the cockpit, holding her head as the system continued to invade her mind. Images of his battles and the bloodshed that followed invaded her mind. She let out a blood-curdling scream and ducked her head back down. She managed to look up again, but the viewscreen wasn't there. Rather, it was him.

_Heero__._

The dangerous eyes of the pilot focused in on Relena. Weakly, Relena reached up to him.

"Heero...please...help...me."

However, Heero simply raised his right hand, revealing a pistol in his grasp. Swiftly, the brrel of the gun rested right on her forehead, his eyes void of any life. Relena was shocked.

"But...why?"

The monotone voice replied, "I'll destroy you."

Relena suddenly jerked back, rushing her head into the back of the seat. She closed he eyes, hoping that she was imagining it, that this wasn't happening. But when she opened her eyes, he was still there, reaching out to her. In an instant, she lunged upward at him and grabbed his throat, letting her nails dig in his neck.

"My enemy! My enemy!" she shrieked.

_'No. No! NO!!!'_ She knew she didn't stand a chance, that he could kill her in an instant right now. He was trained to kill and she had seen what he was capable of.

_'So then...why doesn't he?'_

Relena blinked again. Heero hadn't moved at all and was letting her choke him. _'W-why?'_ Another blink and a realization. She looked up at his eyes. They weren't empty like before. She couldn't tell what he was thinking, but there was life in them. Slowly, she began to let go as her senses returned to normal. The cockpit lights of the ZERO were gone, leaving only the dark cockpit and the pilot that was standing before her. Heero now grabbed her arms as she began to slump downward. The last thing she remembered was Heero pulling her out asking one question.

"Why...?"

* * *

_'Why...stop...Relena...sad.'_

When Relena awoke, she was in the bed of her mansion. _'I'm home? How did I...?'_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden motion beside her.

"Hey, you're awake."

_Duo._ The cheerful pilot of the gundam 02H; Deathscythe Hell. Relena watched as he got up from his seat to call the others. Inwardly, she cringed. If Duo was there, that means that pretty much everyone was there. And that would unfortunately include her brother, Milliardo. If he knows what he did, then she was going to hear a lot from him. Just then, the guests entered the room. It was most of the crew; Trowa, Quatre, Milliardo, and Noin. She didn't really expect to see Wufei, but to her surprise, he entered a little after everyone. But the one person that she wanted to see wasn't there.

_Heero__..._

"Miss Relena. Are you alright?" Quatre started.

Relena meekly nodded, "Yes, I'm fine Quatre. I just..."

"Activated the Zero system." Trowa finished.

That caused her to back into the bed further. _'So they know.'_

Duo saw the realization in her eyes, "Yeah. Heero and I found you in the cockpit and Heero pulled you out."

Wufei growled softly and then moved forward, "What did you think you were doing? You're not even supposed to be in a mobile suit."

Relena looked down, "I'm sorry. I just...there was something I wanted to do."

Wufei continued, "And what might that be?"

No response. Wufei clentched his fists. "Well, answer!"

Quatre looked over, "Wufei, please."

Wufei snapped at him, "No, we should know what the minister of peace is doing inside a gundam."

Relena continued to look down. The images she had seen from the ZERO system kept replaying themselves in her mind. But she didn't want to tell them.

"How did you get inside Wing Zero?" Trowa asked. After the incident with Mariemaia, the gundams were initially destroyed, but revived because of another incident that took place in the colonies afterward. It was then determined by the Preventers that the gundams should be sealed away and stored in case of future use. But after that time, they weren't needed.

Relena's face flushed a bit, "I have a good memory. And I saw what he did when Heero flew off to fight..." She stopped, seeing that her brother was watching her. But strangely enough, he didn't react to anything she had said and kept his face neutral. "Anyway, I was able to find ways into the bunker. Lady Une leaves a good amount of things around."

Duo scratched his head, "Whoa. You were able to remember all of that? That was years ago." He gave a short grin, "I may have to watch out. You could know the combination to my safety deposit box."

Relena gave a small smile and Noin beckoned everyone, "We better leave. She still needs her rest." To Relena, "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Please, you don't have to worry about me."

Noin led all of them out and they said their goodbyes. But the last one, Millardo, simply stared at her. More than any of them, he knew how the ZERO system worked. And thus he knew that she was not alright. At least, not yet. Millardo exited the door, his gaze still on her. However, in the last second before the door closed, his eyes curved upward and away from her. Relena's eyes narrowed. _'What was that?'_ Relena rested back a bit, her eyes looking out the window into the night sky.

"You can come out, Heero."

From out of the dark corner of the window, Heero's form materialized into the room. His Prussian eyes gazed down on Relena and he repeated his last question.

"Why?"

Relena looked up and faced him square in the eye. "To understand."

Heero narrowed his eyes, "Understand what? Why we still fight? Why would you want to understand that?"

Relena giggled to herself, an odd trait she picked up from Dorothy. This disturbed Heero somewhat, but it didn't show on his face.

"Partially. But I wanted...to understand you, Heero."

This elicted a raised eyebrow from the young man, "Understand...me?"

Relena sat upright, "Why is it that you always leave me, yet watch over me from the shadows? Why is it that you don't...admit your true feelings?"

Heero turned around. This wasn't new to Relena. But he wasn't going to get off that easily.

"You spared Milliardo because you didn't want to see me sad."

-

_-"Why don't you stop me?"__-_

_-"Relena would be sad."-_

-

Heero turned back to her. _'How could she have known...? ZERO...told her...everything?'_ Though he didn't show it, Heero was a little puzzled. As far as he knew, the ZERO system couldn't relay another person memory. But his experience in the machine was longer than the others. And despite his control, the system was still unpredictable. _'But why would Relena want to try it anyway? Just to find out what it's like? What **he** is like?'_

"Heero. Don't run away from me."

Heero gaze became a glare, "There was no reason for you to use the system, much less even be in a mobile suit. You are too important to others to do such reckless actions."

Relena stood up, not fazed at all by his words.

"Heero. I know. Please."

Relena moved closer to him and Heero, for the first time in his life, backed away from her. Relena was puzzled by this and stopped.

"Heero?"

Heero blinked. His action had been involuntary, but he still did it. He was both surprised and angry that he would be...afraid of her? Why would he be afraid?

"We are two different people, Relena. We can not be together as you...as we wish. I can't even be around you like this." Heero stared at his hands, "Do you know how many I have killed? The bloodstains on my hands can not be washed away. I...can't..."

Heero stopped suddenly and looked away to the window again, his hands clenched.

"Heero. I've seen it. All of it."

Softly, Relena moved behind him and quietly put her arms around him. He almost struggled for release, but he didn't fight as hard as he could have. Slowly, Relena began to slide her hands down to his.

"But I still want you."

Her hands found his and firmly took hold. She could feel him get rigid for a moment and then relax again.

"Relena." he said through gritted teeth.

"Put it behind you. You yourself said that you didn't have to kill anymore. That is enough."

He began to fidget, "But I can't afford to...We can't..."

He wanted to tell her that he didn't want to pollute her innocence, to have his bloodstained hands to infect her. But she didn't care. To her, it was better than for him to disappear again and leave them both tortured over something that could be. She circled around him, hands still clasped.

"I know you don't. But I can not live with the alternative any longer."

Heero started to loose himself in those eyes...those beautiful blue eyes. They were the opposite of his cold, emotionless ones, but she never looked at anyone as she is looking at him now. _Love, warmth and...understanding._ But in a way no one else could have. Letting go of the last few restraints of his emotions, Heero dipped his head down to her and cupped her cheek. She let out a short breath before his lips softly connected with hers. She tightened her grip a bit, feeling the sensation as their lips slowly moved with one another. Heero then moved away from her, unaware that he was smiling.

"You have a beautiful smile, Heero Yuy."

Relena smiled at him, causing his own grin to increase. They leaned in for another kiss and met up again. Relena began to give in more to him as his mouth began to roam over hers. Her heart was pounding and she wanted to dive further into him. However, he stoped mid-way.

"Relena...I..."

But she was ahead of him again, "I know. This is too big a step, even for you. For both of us."

Heero glanced over the side, "I just have a lot to think about."

She nodded, "I understand. For the first time, I truly do understand."

Heero looked back at her and gave her yet another kiss, surprising her outright but she didn't mind it at all. When he backed away...

"I'll come back to you again. I promise."

Relena nodded and Heero disappeared out the window.

_'I'll be waiting for you, Heero...'_


End file.
